Champion
by Rosie McLovin
Summary: The emotional story of Magnus. Please read and review, I swear you won't be disappointed.


**Champion**

**written by Rose Dincht**

_Another evening... another victory..._

I stand on the cold, soot-covered stone steps of what once was a hidden Sarafan base. When we had attacked this evening, it had been twilight. The sun was already beneath the horizon, the once blue sky had transformed into glorious shades of orange and pink, and tiny stars began to take form. Now, the orange and pink shades, the stars, and even the clouds are masked by a thick black smog that lingers from our boots to the sky. The spawn of our fires, just like the ashes that remain on what once was the town of Vasserbünde.

I lift my head as the warm summer breeze passes throughout the annihilated town. Screams faintly filled the air. Either the victims were killed off over a great distance or were too exhausted to scream louder. Those screams seem to give the atmosphere of what was once our battlefield a much more haunting appearance.

My eyes fall onto the victors our this battle. Scanning the area slightly, overlooking the majority of the soldiers, one face grasped my attention. Transforming from his Mist Invisibility to his visible form was the proud and gallant Faustus, emerging from the smog like a ghost. He lifts his head to the sky, the smog still surrounding his form as if it has become apart of him. At first glance, one would expect that he is deep in thought, that his hard, serious stare up to the infinite would last for hours. When his lips curve and form into a pleased smile, it is all the proof nessisary that slaying humans and Sarafan is anything but serious for Faustus. He has merely enjoyed yet another victory.

My attention jerks away from Faustus, moving onto the next victory I find almost instantly. Emerging from his mist form as well is Marcus. A sly, cynical vampire, one of our greatest allies in our battle for dominance. Captively enwrapped in one of his arms is that of a maiden of eighteen, still alive and weakly squirming in hopes to alter the inevitable. Her long blonde hair is stained with blood and her blouse is torn open, and judging by the expressions on Marcus's face, it's hard to deceipher which is exciting him the most. I watch has he celebrates his victory, sliding his claw lustfully across the girl's bare throat and breasts, breaking the skin with his claws and intensifying the gropes as beads of blood take form against the fresh cuts.Then his head lowers against her throat, his fangs drive into her arteries, and an agonizing scream erupts from her weakened, violated body.

The loudest of all screams, however, are heard from above. My eyes shift from Marcus and move up, to the rooftops of a partially destroyed human abode. I see Sebastian, the most vicious and cruelest among the vampire soldiers. A sloppy butcher is he. I watch as the brutality unfold as Sebastian tears the flesh and limbs from any survivors of this fight. Four are deformed and viciously tortured upon the rooftop. If another human managed to evade the other warriors, I would watch as he would sweep down from his perch and strike at them. I hear his twisted joyous laughs, I hear the sounds of bones snapping, flesh ripping, and painful, agonizing screams that pierce the air. And all the while, the scent of fresh blood emanates throughout the air.

And then I hear your footsteps... and I see you beside me.

You gaze out, ove what was once our battlefield. Your black lips form into a smirk, and your golden eyes seem to glow. It is then when I realize that you have truly relished the battle and victory.

"You have won again, my Lord." I tell you as I lift my gaze from Sebastian to the horizon. The smog in the distance had faded away, revealing a large, crescent moon rising in the east. "You truly _are_ unbeatable."

I hear you chuckle. The deep, vibrant sound that symbolizes your amusement, meaning companionship to some and death for others. I suppose, for the sake of me, that the first option was in my favor, for to my surprise I feel your claw on my shoulder. I shiver just slightly at your firm grip, the brief tremble emerging from the prior knowledge that your claw could have just as easily crush my shoulder, had it been your intention to do so. I turn my head to face you, my eyes meeting yours.

"_We_ have won, Magnus." you say to me. "Together, _we_ are unbeatable."

I am unsure of your words. If _we_ meant the army, or if _we_ meant just you and I. But nonetheless, I smile and nod, masking my ignorance.

"And we can expect more victories in the future." I say, placing my hand on your shoulder. "It is an honor to fight along side of you, my Lord."

In unison, we nod to each other, then remove our hands from our shoulders. After a final look of companionship, you turn from me and place your hand to your side. And I watch as you unsheath the very weapon that struck fear into all of us, human and vampire alike. The Soul Reaver, your trumph card, the most deadilest weapon in existance. I myself had never viewed the Soul Reaver at such a close distance, and I am certain very few had and managed to live to talk about it. The sword, above all things, was magnificent. The appearance was nothing exquisitly beautiful, yet the curved, wavy blade was clearly a work of art, as was the skull at the hilt.

At the very moment the sword was unsheathed, you raised it above you. All attention from the vampires, despite what they were doing at that very moment, automatically shifted onto you. Your eyes began to glow, you bared your fangs, and a long, loud hiss escaped you.The vampires, myself included, imitated your movements, your expression, and a brilliant light engulfs our forms. Our minds part, our bodies shatter, and the wings of thousands of bats flutter and shriek throughout the sky, across the image of the white moon, and take to the horizon.

Within moments, we appear at our haven: Vorador's mansion. All of us take our natural forms as we appeared in one of the lower chambers of the exquisite abode. Thsi chamber, however, was far from exquisite. Walls of stone lit by dimly glowing candles, a faint and lingering mist that filled the chamber completely, and cynically carved murals along the walls and pillars. At the far end of the chamber was a throne, and at the center, a stone pedestal. Ontop of the uprising stone was a map of Nosgoth, marked and pinpointed with small flags. This was the room we would spend our evenings plotting and planning our strategies. Tonight however, you told us that our victory had been overall impressive, and the evening was ours to enjoy.

The soldiers followed you up the long, winding stairway that brought us to the main hall. There, Vorador had awaited us. He had not joined us on the battlefield this evening, and I am led to believe that he was spending time in the chamber below, studying the map and planning our next move. Nevertheless, he greeted us, and in a moment of disbelief, led us to the dining room and harem: our rewards for our victory. The vampire soldiers were relunctant when it came to the harem, however. Vorador was very protective and posessive of his brides, and touching them meant offending him. I suppose prior knowledge of the loneliness and desire of a soldier allowed him to reconscider his posessive thoughts and let the soldiers enjoy an evening with the opposite sex.

Several of the warriors flooded the dining room, still relunctant to go near the harem. They feasted upon goblet after goblet, each filled with fresh, sweet blood. I, being one of them, watched on as the other warriors made their way towards the harem. Faustus approached the luxurious room with his arm enwrapped around the lucious hips of a slender, blonde bride. Marcus had entered the harem shortly afterwards with a set of twin brunettes, both clinging onto his body seductively. Sebastian, however, entered the harem with one bride: a six foot tall, snow white and blue eyed beauty with long, wavy, black hair. Her smirking red lips, sharp catlike eyes and enticing giggles seemed to match Sebastian's proud and snakelike ego almost perfectly.

Then I saw you approach the harem. Six brides surrounded you, and judging by the uneasy looks given by the brides' sire, you were obviously challenging and testing his posessive nature. The brides however didn't seem to care. They led you to the harem, their soft, pale hands carressing the muscles on your body seductively. I watched you from a distance, slowly sipping the blood from the goblet as you approached the room. You were chuckling, smirking, calmly yet excitingly awaiting for the pleasure to unfold. To me, you were a complete and perfect description of pride and dominance. A man with power, something I admired passionately about you.

That is when my world seemed to freeze. For a moment, a split second, when your eyes shifted from the brides onto me, I felt as if time seemed to freeze. A shiver built at the base of my spine, then climbed up towards my shoulders. Our eyes caught each other, focused, then locked. And I watched as your face went from deathly serious to your classic smile.

**_"Enjoy this evening, Magnus..."_** your words filled my thoughts. **_"You deserve the recreation..."_**

Then time continued. Your eyes were back on the bodies of the brides and I watched as you entered the harem. That is when I felt a presence beside me. A warm, soothing, and gentle presence that shockingly relaxed me even before I came to know who the individual was. Looking to my side, I met the soft, violet eyes of a young bride. Silky black hair flowed from her scalpe to her waist, draping over her body as if she had been recently bathed in blood. She donned a white silk gown and the warmth of her body enticed me, tempted me, to take her. Just as I knew you would.

Within the hour, I was within a small and quiet chamber with the young bride. She said her name was Umah, and that she had just recently been changed. Somehow, despite her role in this household, she was unable to please her master. According to her, he said that she seemed so out of place amongst the other brides. It was when I was alone with her that I fully understood what she meant by that. I was no longer in the mood for love making, for her very presence seemed to please me enough and make up for that loss. We lay in bed together, my armor stripped from me yet my pants still in place, and I rested against her lovingly. My body laid curled against the sheets of the bed and my head rested in her lap, purring and moaning softly as her white fingertips traced a path against my face.

The warmth of her... the unnatural warmth she had that so many vampires were without... it soothed me. Comforted me. And all the while, we just spoke to one another, about the battles, about her life in Vorador's abode, about you. There was no need to take her. Her simple presence was enough for me to enjoy the evening.

Daylight came and went like a summer breeze, and I awoke at dusk in the chamber, enwrapped in Umah's arms. Within ten minutes she managed to assist me in fastening on my armor, and I ran my fingers through her silky black hair and bid her farewell. The vampires were to meet in the chamber below, and I wished not to disgrace you with my tardiness.

But to my surprise, it was you would you disgrace us with tardiness. Rumors began to brew from within the chamber amongst the vampires. According to the words of Marcus, Faustus, and Sebastian, the only eye-witnesses of the display, your screams hadn't only filled the harem, but the entire household. Screams of pain, rage, and anger, as if one or several had betrayed you and left you to rot. They claimed that it all had happened during your slumber, and in the process, four brides were unintentionally yet brutally slaughtered. The other two had managed to escape with critical wounds.

Vorador, in turn, was furious. The last rumor breathed was that he had confronted you about it. We knew not what to expect. Some believed that Vorador would challenge you to a duel over it, yet we knew you would show him no mercy for it. And if that were to happen, it was anybody's guess as to how the army would manage to carry on afterwards. Vorador was a key member to these band of warriors, and without him, nobody knew what would happen.

Within an hour however, you arrived into the chamber with Vorador. Not a soul spoke of the incident, and neither did the both of you, yet we knew that judging by your facial expression, it was fresh in your mind. You approached the pedestal with Vorador, pointing at the map and giving out your commands and battle tactics as usual. Once again, we were on the way to blood and gore, and many more battles to come. Our flight began immediately after the strategies were discussed, and the wind carried us towards the village of Steinchencröe.

The battle began as we took our forms, from bat to vampire. The warriors were scattered throughout the town,and the fights broke out. I sprinted through a sea of humans, sword in my grasp, slicing through them with godlike speed. As their bodies collapsed into pieces, I leapt into the air and smashed a dangling lantern into a nearby household, smiling as the abode caught fire with impressive speed.

A demonic laughter was heard over the screams of civillians, and I looked towards the northern parts of town to see the vampire Vorador blasting a projectile as a Sarafan warrior. Shortly after that one blast, more of these soldiers emerged, abandoning their posts and grouping together for one massive attack. A sword was clutched in Vorador's mighty claw, and in it's stillness, was dripping with blood. When Vorador put the blade into motion in order to slice through the bodies of humans, the sword became nothing more than a flashing streak of crimson.

Then I heard someone yelling. Glancing towards the west, I saw you, surrounded by the Sarafan as well. Outnumbered, yet still galantly fighting. I narrowed my eyes, smiled, and sprinted forward. A number of Sarafan turned my way, sword and spears drawn as I charged towards them. About four meters before the mob, I kicked off of the ground and flipped through the air, twisting my body and landing, facing the soldiers, between you and Vorador.

For a moment I saw you glance at me. A glance of pride, fellowship, and overall a love for the battle.

_"Let's kill them all, Magnus..." _your words whisper to me_. "Remember: together, we are unbeatable..."_

Now I finally realized what you meant by _we_. And that alone was all the motivation I needed. The army of Sarafan attacked at all three of us in a split second, yet I was prepared for it, longed for it, and awaited it.

Vorador dispatched a series of projectiles, one after another, as the blood of the human warriors splattered and sprayed throughout the air. I saw him laugh wickedly as the blood dripped from his face and smeared across his chest. I saw him lick his lips, relishing the taste before taking his sword into his claw and violently slashing and stabbing at the mob.

You on the otherhand seemed to be enjoying the battle the most out of all of us. Whilst I sliced and stabbed at them with my sword, swung out with a series of powerful kicks and slashed with my claws, you were violently tearing through them as if they were made of moistened parchment. You charged into the mob, tore the flesh from their bones with your teeth and ripped throbbing hearts fromt heir chests. Then you would impale them then kick then off your blade. You would decapitate, snap necks, laughing all the while and enjoying the thrill of the slaughter.

I could no longer resist the temptation. I ran to you, slicing through the sea of soldiersand twisting my body once more so our backs met. Together we turned, stepped forward and back, slicing, stabbing, kicking, clawing, biting and feasting from the split blood. The both of us screamed and laughed as the very last Sarafan fell before our power.

And we stood there in silence, you and I. Blood splattered against our bodies, the moon glistening against our flesh and the flames of the village slowly and gradually growing larger and larger, adding a hellish presence unto the battleground. We stood before the chaos with our heads held high. This image to me was one of power, strength, and invincibility. We were gods. The Dark Gods. And nothing could tear through us.

"Yet another victory, my lord..." I say to you, gazing at the flames of the village.

You chuckle once again. "With every battle won, your courage and loyalty never ceases to overwhelm me, Magnus."

Those very words make me smile. At one point, I heard Vorador's footsteps approaching us, only to stop. Shortly after his cease, he moved past us and continues towards the burning town.

"Certainly there was no need for brides that evening..." I hear him mutter. "He surprisingly is consort'st with his champion."

I feel my undead heart sink at Vorador's words as he vanishes into the town. I ignored his words involving my being consort'st with you. Instead, the word I do take to heart would be _champion_. I gaze upon the battlefield, looking at the corpses, the brunging town, your army and the blood on my blade and body. We could have never accomplished these victories had it not been for you, and you would have never had the opportunity to make all of this happen if it weren't for us.

Then I look at you. You look at me. You smile, place your claw upon my shoulder and nod your head in gratitude and congratulation.

"I thank you for being on the battlefield with me." you say.

It's then when many things come into realization. I _am_ your champion. I am your greatest warrior, and my loyalty for you is neverending. And I would destroy _anyone_, may it be Sarafan, humans, vampires, demons, sorcerers, witches, the Devil or God himself, if they would dare defy, forsake, betray and abandon you.

The evening at the mansion was another evening for celebration, this time without the brides. The soldiers knew Vorador would not stand for it this time, which was a slight disappointment for them. That, however, did not stop me from visiting Umah. As I rested in her arms once more, I confessed everything to her. I told her of the battle, and how bravely her master and the rest of us fought against the Sarafan. And... I spoke of you.

I spoke of your greatness, of your strength, and how proud I was to be your champion. She listened with a smile, here eyes closed and her cheek against my hair, cradling me like a mother cradles her newborn. And affectionate bride she is. How she'll listen, comfort, and mother one such as I, whom all would expect to be an emotionless shell.

At one point, however, she made a bit of a confession herself. She said taht she feared you. That your screams of terror filled the mansion at daylight, and after the slaughter of the brides, she dared not to be in sight of you. I could not console her, however. Only tell her that you would lead us to freedom, liberation, and power. When Nosgoth was yours, it would be ours. Although it didn't seem to convince her completely, she seemed somewhat more at ease with the idea.

During midday while I and the rest of the household slept, I awokened to a scream. I sat up, shifted my eyes and briefly trembled at the sound. It sounded like a vampire burning at a stake. It sounded like a general who lost his army, his victory, and all of his glory in an instant. I must admit that I was afraid to follow the screams that day. But I still followed them into your room and watched you as you screamed and flailed your arms violently, tossing about in the bed.

I couldn't stand the sight. Your agony was unbearble, regardless of the fact that it was all during your slumber. The betrayal and torment you felt was much too real. The battles you seemed to love so much seemed to destroy you during your sleep. The monsters in your mind seemed to outnumber you, eat at your soul and tear at your heart.

But I was your champion. And I would not let you face those inner demons alone.

Your arm came rapidly flailing in my direction. Quickly, my claw lashed out and caught your forearm gently. Your body tensed and trembled, and the struggles continued. I knelt beside your bed, holding your claw in mine as I placed my other claw upon your shoulder.

A moment passed, and your screams grew silent. The struggles halted and the agony and chaos ended. I held onto you for a moment longer, then leaned forward, hissing into your ear:

"Nobody will ever harm you, on a battlefield or in your subconsciousness, so long as your champion is there beside you..."

I released you, crept silently to my room and relished the silence as I returned to my slumber. Yet shortly after my mind passed into unconsciousness, I could swear on my soul that I heard you speak:

_"You have my gratitude... my champion..."_

Nights rolled by, one after another. There was victory after victory, a several nights spent with Umah. Yet my proudest moment came the evening after a battle. While Vorador led the vampires to the mansion, you and I stood behind, romaing throughout the ruins of yet another town.

It was then when you confessed many things to me... no... you confessed everything to me, or at least very near everything. From your life as a nobleman to your death and rebirth as a vampire. About your battle against the Circle of Nine, of Ariel and your role as Balance Guardian. So many secrets that few vampires new, and it honored me that I was one of the few to know such things. I marveled at your stories of time travel, and the way you restored the once decapitated Vorador by stitching his head to his body and reviving him with your blood. You confessed that he was the reason why the vampire race was reborn. He created more vampires, and showed you the technique in return.

I had never thought that restoring a vampire the way you had restored Vorador was possible. And your ability to do so caused my admiration for you to dramatically increase.

Then you requested that I enlighten you with my past. And not only my past, but my desires and secrets as well. Not wanting to disappoint you, I began the story of my life. I too was a nobleman in my life as a human, and the youngest of six sons. Every member of my family was a worshipper of vampires. My bitter hatred towards the Sarafan began with the slaughter, torture, and annihilation of my family (however, eons later I would be to surprised to discover that my mother had somehow bargained for her life and managed to live for centuries in eternal youth and beauty as a vampire worshipping _priestess_). As a man, I trained myself in the arts of combat and stealth. As a vampire, I perfected it. Personally I knew my tale was nothing of interest to you, yet as we stopped before a burning Sarafan fort, you spoke to me.

"Your life story intrigues me, Magnus... yet not so much as the stories you have yet to tell me." you say.

I blink and look at you. "What is it that you wish me to reveal?"

"Simply your devotion... and your devotion towards others."

"My devotion is to you, my lord. I would destroy anyone who would dare to harm you, assuming you don't harm them before my chance comes..."

You laugh at that. I smile slightly, recognizing the humor in my words, then look to the flames as you slowly approach me.

"I am aware of your loyalty. But where, or to whom, does your undead heart belong to?" you say.

My muscles tense slightly. "My heart?"

"I've been told you spend your evenings with a bride of Vorador. A daring affair if I say so myself... so I ask of you, is that the keeper of your heart?"

I shake my head slowly. "No, my lord. Umah is a companion to me. I seek her out for comfort. Nothing more."

"Her name is Umah, I take it?"

"Yes my lord. She is a dear companion, and a trusted friend. Nothing more."

You place your hand on my shoulder and turn me to face you.

"I felt your presence in my room that day, Magnus." you hiss quietly. "You chased away my nightmares that day. My nightmares of my fallen body burning in the fires of defeat and betrayal by my enemy's sword. Your very presence chased those horrid images away... and for that, I am in debted to you, Magnus."

"My lord, I couldn't let you carry on the way you were." I say to you. "That night... I knew I had to do something... anything... to help you..."

You lower your head and chuckle once more."Your companionship and loyalty towards me is beyond admirable... from this night forward, have my complete and upmost trust amongst all of my soldiers."

I gaze into your eyes, trying to find a hint of doubt or deciet. After an indefinate amount of time spent wasted on finding neither, I felt a sense of pride. I felt blessed, honored, as if I was crowned the king of the universe and heavens. Trust was a rare gift for you to give, and even rarer to recieve from you. I realized that fact more than anything, and now that I have earned your trust... I didn't know just how to respond to it. At one point I was so overwhelmed I felt myself trembling. And to my embarassment, you seemed to notice.

"Say something..." you whisper softly.

Suddenly, my embarassment melted away. My eyes looked up into yours, then glanced beyond you. I smirked, and drew my sword.

"We have company..."

You turn, Soul Reaver drawn, at a group of Sarafan that had miraculously managed to escape our wrath. We laughed tauntingly at our foes. We knew that they weren't going to be as fortunate this time around.

It was the beginning of the end for me. And I never thought the moment would come so sudden. We were so close... we were miles away from victory. We were nights away from claiming Nosgoth. Days away from absolute power...

The night before the final battle, I had roamed the land surrounding the mansion. I'll never forget that evening... never forgot just how beautiful the night was. The sky was a deep, dark blue, and the moon was large, white and brilliant, completely full and shining over the forest magnificiantly. The forest moved and pulsed with life as crickets chirped, owls cried, snake slithered and bats shrieked. The grass was cold and slightly damp from evening dew, spiderwebs shimmered like diamonds as the moonlight shimmered on the beads of dew trapped within the web. A cool breeze passed throughout the forest, allowing the leaves to rustle and my nerves to relax. A lovely evening indeed... for some reason, it made my thoughts focus on you.

The time we shared together was a remarkable one. One that I would have never traded for anything else in the universe. Your trust was greater than anything the world could have offered me. Believe me when I say that I wanted to spend eternity with you. That I wanted to remain your champion and stay by your side until the end of time.

But destiny saw my fate differently. And my wish would never come into reality.

I ventured throughout the forest, still continuing to marvel at it's beauty. Yet my attention was suddenly grasped away from the beauty as a sharp, hissing voice was heard towards the west. I stiffened, then jerked my head in the direction of the voices (which at a distance sounded much like the hissing of a large snake). I shivered slightly when a quieter voice responded to the sharper one, and my greatest fear at that very moment was that a human had discovered the mansion. And that he would attack at daylight whilst we slept, or inform the Sarafan about our location. Yet to my horror, that would be the least of my fears.

I silently crept towards the voices, my body lowered into a crouch as my arms and legs silently carried me throughout the brush and shrubs. As I drew closer, I moved towards a large tree, and very quickly dug my claws into the wood. Quietly and carefully, I scaled the tree and stood on a strong branch. Then I gazed down so my eyes met the forms of the two tresspassers below.

My heart nearly burst from my chest. It took all of my willpower to keep from screaming. Below was not _only_ a human. It wasn't _only_ a tresspasser. And it wasn't _only_ a Sarafan. Below, beside the Sarafan, was the Judas in our midst. The traitor.

_Sebastian..._

He spoke to the Sarafan, and he told him _everything_. He confessed strategies, advantages and disadvantages of your army. He concluded the information with an arrangement that could have very well been the end for us all. An ambush... an ambush against all of us.

**_Against you..._**

I slithered down the tree silently and unnoticed. As I reached the ground, I noticed that the evening mist had began to form. Entering my mist form, I knew I had one of two options. One option was to kill both of them right there. The other was to wait until Sebastian departed back to the mansion, and kill the Sarafan before information could be passed onto his leader. With such little time, I hardly had any time left to analyze both options. So automatically... I chose the first one.

Quietly, I slipped behind the Sarafan as he and Sebastian continued to speak. I saw Sebastian's eyes rise up slightly, then widened. He could see the outline of my form... and the look of shock on his face made my eyes narrow. My claws clamped onto the head of the Sarafan, who had enough time to scream out in surprise before I snapped his neck. The horror on Sebastian's face intesified, then vanished as I came into visibility. He probably thought that I had been you... he probably knew if it had been you, you would have shown him absolutely no mercy.

"Magnus...Kain's little lapdog. No surprise that it would be _you _of all people who would discover my intentions before Kain did." Sebastian hissed, a smirk forming on his pale, green face.

"Why, Sebastian?" I growled. "What is the meaning of this? What drove you to attempt an ambush on our lord?"

"_Your_ lord, Magnus. Not mine. Never mine. That arrogant fool could hardly pass as a general let alone a lord. My allegiance is not with him, and I will relish his destruction."

"You want to take his place... you desire to rule Nosgoth in his stead, do you not?"

"You catch on quickly, little lapdog. Yet I question your pride... do you _long_ to be consort'st with Kain? You are a fine warrior, Magnus. Why be a pet, a man's plaything, when you can be a _ruler? _A second in command? Is it tempting? Is it, my friend?"

"Not in the least, Sebastian. I would rather be his _plaything_ than your ally, you filthy snake!"

With that spoken, I leapt at him. I struck him across the face, my talons tearing and digging through his flesh and _narrowly_ missing his eye. Sebastian shrieked with anger and in turn delievered a strong kick to my ribs, followed by an uppercut-styled claw across my chest and throat. The attack lifted me from the ground, yet I planted both feet into his chest and kicked off powerfully. The force of the kick sent him flying throughout the air, smashing roughly into a tree and collapsing onto the ground. I flipped backwards, landing in a kneeling position and didn't waste any time as I sprinted toward him.

Sebastian recovered from the forest floor, and the look on his face proved that he was as furious as eye. My claw marks were deep across his left cheek, and blood smeared across the skin. He held his chest slightly, but wasted little time as well as he saw me running towards him. He, in turn, sprinted as well. We both leapt into the air and swung out our legs in unison, attempting to kick one another. Our legs struck against each other, yet with impressive speed I twisted my body forward and swung out with my opposite leg, catching him in the jaw with my heel. We both feel towards the ground, him landing on his stomach and I on my feet.

I circled him, preparing for a strike, or for him to strike me. He spent on a moment on his knees, rubbing his aching jaw and growling furiously. His head jerked up and our eyes met. Those eyes were filled with anger, glaring with upmost hatred and anger. At the same time, his body began glow. A brilliant, crimson glow outlined his body... and I knew he was preparing to use a Dark Gift. I braced myself as he screamed out in fury, ran forward and attacked in a series of berserk combinations that tore at my chest, face, stomach and throat. He finished by leaping into the air and kicking me in the face, sending me flying through the air and crashing into the brush in the distance.

I heard him roar once more and heard his footsteps sprinting in my direction. I growled, jumped up and struck him across his face once more with my claws. A monstrous scream escaped Sebastian, and another one followed as I struck my claws across his throat. Blood splattered across the grass and leaves of the forest, and Sebastian's screams filled the air. I grasped his blue cape with my claws and with all of my might swung him head-first into one of the largest trees in the forest.

Then I leapt back, entered my mist form, and hid among the brush. Sebastian pushed himself off of the tree and nearly fell backwards as he tried to recover onto his feet. Then, at the pinnacle of his fury, he screamed his loudest and leapt towards the brush, aimlessly swinging his claws through the bushes. I watched him from afar in surprise. His body was battered, bruised, and his face and throat was dripping with blood. And he continued to aimless strike the brush, possibly blinded by the blood in his eyes as he screamed _"Where are you?" _and _"Come out and face me you coward!" _after every slice. Yet I knew, with every strike he aimlessly threw, the more his exhaustion was taking over. And after a moment, he stumbled backwards, and I could hear his ragged breaths and stumbling feet. My eyes shifted, then glanced onto the corpse of the Sarafan just as Sebastian's did.

He wanted the corpse... I knew it. The blood would restore him completely, if not, then just enough.

And I was not going to let that happen.

As he approached the carcass, stumbling and panting in exhaustion, I closed my eyes and focused. The warmth of the Dark Gift charging overcame me. When I opened my eyes, I was no longer in my mist form, but instead covered in a crimson glow. I waited, remaining low in the brush and watching as Sebastian neared the corpse. Just as his mouth opened, his fangs expanded and he prepared to feast, I leapt out from the bushes and pushed my arms into the air. A bright, red light filled the forest and Sebastian hovered in midair. Within a moment, his screams returned as his body burst into flames. He collapsed and the light faded. He shrieked and rolled about on the ground, convulsing and flailing about as the flames consumed him. And I narrowed my eyes and glared at his fallen body.

"You should have never spoke badly of my lord..." I hiss.

He continues to scream as he burns, hysetria taking him over completely. _"I hate you, Magnus! I hate you! I hate you!"_

My eyes focus, and glare much harder. "You should have never betrayed him, Sebastian..."

My fight with him ended... yet a terrible feeling builds up within my heart. What if other Sarafan knew of Sebastian's plan? What if the vampires were still in danger? Sebastian was no longer my concern, as I knew within the hour, perhaps much sooner at this rate, he would be dead. Now my battle was with the Sarafan. I refused to allow them to harm you.

I pondered for a moment. Perhaps an attack on the Sarafan Lord would be wiser. I knew not of what type of warrior he was, and I don't believe any of us truly knew. I hadn't seen him, only heard of him from the mouths of dying Sarafan. If he was merely a man, I knew I would probably have nothing to concern myself with. Kill the Sarafan Lord, and the end of the war would come. Kill the Sarafan Lord, and Nosgoth would be yours...

**_My mind was set. I feasted from the corpse of the Sarafan and my strength return. My bat form took flight... and the countdown to my destruction began._**

Everything seemed so simple at first. After hours of searching, I found and attacked the Stronghold. I slaughtered thousands of Sarafan warriors and guards, feasted from the blood of the inhabitants living there, and did not stop until I made my way up to the Sarafan Lord. I did not have to look for long, for I found him on the rooftop.

His back was facing me as I arrived. He wore golden armor and a rather long, blue cape. From a distance, he seemed to be wearing an awkward looking headset that seemed to glow with green flames. It puzzled me slightly, but before making an attack, I watched him. He was standing before a prison cell with a hooded creature standing before him. The hooded creature seemed to be speaking, yet the words were drowned out over the alarms and cries from downstairs. But I saw him hand what looked to be a large, blue stone into the hand of the Sarafan Lord. When the alarms died down, I saw the Sarafan Lord place the stone onto his chest.

"I must give my thanks to Sebastian..." his voice, a terrifying, deep, monstrous voice erupted from the mouth of the Sarafan Lord. "If what he says is true about this stone... victory will surely be ours..."

My blood boils at his words. I leap out of hiding and rush forward. The hooded creature turns his head, glancing at me, then disappearing without a trace. The Sarafan Lord, however, doesn't turn to face me. Judging his lack of motion, I was lead to believe that he probably had no idea I was coming for him. I was so silent... my footsteps made no sound whatsoever... any human would have been buried within a moment's time.

That was when he twisted his body when my sword neared him, and caught the blade with his hand.

To my horror, he was no human at all. He was a monster... a demon... a creature with a brown, skeletal face and large, glowing green eyes, and impossible strength. I was paralyzed with shock as he shattered the blade of my sword in his grip. I panicked, and leapt at him, ready to strike, but his speed was impossibly quick as well. He lashed out with his arm, caught me by the throat and slammed my body against the stone wall of the prison cell.

_Struck me down before I could even touch him._

His sharp, icy fingers enwrapped around my throat, adding pressure, attempting to crush the bone and muscle from beneath the flesh. I kicked out powerfully with my leg. He didn't draw back, flinch, or move. I dug my claws into his wrist, yet he did not yeild to the pain. I wasn't even sure he felt pain at all. I glanced down, onto his chest and saw the blue stone shimmering. I remembered his words... how he was going to defeat you with this stone... somehow. I glared, narrowed my eyes and kicked forward, my foot striking against the stone. It was my intention to crush it then and there... and apparentally the Sarafan Lord knew that intention.

He swung out with his arm, my throat still in his grip, and smashed me onto the stone steps of the floor before releasing his hold. Then I felt his boot on my chest, pinning me down as he glared at me.

_If only I had destroyed that stone... perhaps you could have won the war without me..._

"I failed you, my lord..." I whimpered slightly. **_"Together... we were unbeatable... alone... seperated... I am nothing..."_**

The Sarafan Lord laughed wickedly at my words, his pleasure increasing in unison with my torment. "Your lord will be joining you shortly..." he hissed.

Green and purple light filled the sky. A strange smoke formed before him, the lights combining in a swirling vortex of some sort. Then the color melted away as a black portal materialized before us. The Sarafan Lord knelt down, grabbed me my by throat, and screamed, "I shall put you _both_ where you belong...!"

My body was sent hurtling into the portal. My body became weightless, and my screamed filled a realm of blackness... of nothingness... which soon materialized into flames. My eyes widened, my screams grew louder, and the smell of my flesh melting and my hair burning filled my nostrils.

_Unspeakable pain... relentless agony... _

A decent into Hell... but Hell did not come until moments later. From within the flames, events began to take place before my mind. It was as if I was there... watching them unfold in person... and by the Gods, I wish I were.

_Sebastian was rescued by another vampire, who was drawn away from the mansion at the sounds of his screams. He was restored at the mansion, given the blood needed to heal him, before he was brought to you. He told you that he had caught me plotting an ambush against the vampires with the Sarafan. That I had tried to murder him... and that I had returned to the Sarafan Lord's abode to assist his army..._

_Your eyes filled with such pain. A loud, agonizing roar filled the mansion. So... this was the betrayal you felt. The betrayal of the one person you trusted most..._

And burning tears melted my face along with the flames as I watched you collapse in sorrow... in heartache.

**_"Don't buy into his words, my Lord! Don't believe him! I am your champion! I AM YOUR CHAMPION!"_**

_I saw Umah in the harem with the brides at the moment word reached the vampires. She was absolutely devestated at the news. Her eyes widened, her body trembled, and she let out the most painful of screams I've ever heard. She felt decieved... betrayed... and I watched as her screaming, sobbing body collapsed into the arms of Vorador, who held her gently, trying desperately to calm her..._

_**"Umah! I did not betray you! Umah don't believe what you hear! I never betrayed you! I NEVER BETRAYED YOU!"**_

_And I watched as you entered the battle with the Sarafan Lord. I watched you attack him, Soul Reaver in hand, your rage overcoming you. Yet the Sarafan Lord did not flinch, he did not yeild. He burned the vampires alive... he threw you into a realm of fire and agony._

_Your screams returned once more as I saw you engulfed in flames. The screams that occurred during the days at the mansion returned. And the images began to haunt you. You saw yourself in the lower chambers of the mansion, surrounded by duplicated images of Sebastian. You saw the collasping of the pillars, your defeat played out several times over... _

_You were betrayaled... decieved... ambushed... and you lost everything... your army... your victory... your glory..._

**  
I scream in torment as I watched my lord, my beloved lord, die at the hands of the Sarafan Lord...**

My body suddenly collapsed on the cold stone floor of the Eternal Prison. I was surrounded by Prison Guardians... and my torment intensified. I endured endless torture. My skin was pealed away from my bones, my organs were exposed, and I was denied the blood I craved. I was engulfed by the acidic waters of the prison, I was impaled with blades and scythes, I was injured by the monstrous inhabitants there, and the majority of my pain and near-death situations were all self-inflicted. I tried so hard to end it all... It was I who tore the flesh and hair from my head and tore open my skull. It was I who clawed at my face, tore away my nose and clawed out my eye.

_But I would not die..._

The Prison Guards could have done something to end it... but they **_allowed_** it to carry on.

**_They made me suffer and destroy myself until my mind was stolen from me and I went insane..._**

I lived in Hell for 200 years. They patched my eye with a slab of metal, and a furnace was branded onto my back. That furnace increased my torment, for everytime my skin burned, I was reminded of the fires I was exposed to on arrival. Yet overtime, my mind, and memory, was surrounded by fog.

_Even when I saw you for the first time in two centuries, my insanity caused me to attack you..._

We battled throughout the prison... you caused me endless suffering... but a final blow managed to bring me into my senses. 200 years fogged my sanity... and now...

_"The fog lifts...! Sire, wait!" I cry, reaching towards you._

_You draw back. "What trickery is this?"_

_I shake my head, my remaining eye pleading. "No trickery, sire... I am your servant once again... your champion..."_

_Your eyes widen... you step backwards, shaking your head. "Magnus...? Could it be...?"_

_"It is I... sire..."_

_Your eyes are in complete and utter shock. I can see them scanning my deformed, mutilated body. For a moment, I can see you tremble slightly... it seems as if you could hardly or perhaps not even believe that the destroyed being before you was once your champion, your trusted friend who loved you._

_"How is this possible...?" You whisper... but then your eyes transform from shock into hatred. "Magnus, the traitor. Is this your reward for betraying me to the Sarafan Lord?"_

_"Sire... I did not..." I whimper slightly._

_Your eyes do not soften. "You left my camp in the night to join with my enemy," you say, apparentally recalling the betrayals of those before. "...like all the others." you conclude in despair._

_I shake my head slowly. "Sire, no..." I say to you. "I wanted only to serve you... I thought, in my pride, I would strike a blow that would end the war. I went to kill the Sarafan Lord, alone... I was your champion."_

_Your eyes soften this time... and a look of sorrow depicts your face. Almost as if tears are about to form in your eyes. _

_"You never returned..." you whisper softly..._

_I lower my head in shame. I cannot bare to see the pain in your eyes... that alone is more painful than my confession to you._

_"I failed you... I tried to kill him... Even now, I cannot remember how he defeated me. I was struck down, helpless at his feet, and then through his foul magic, he took my mind and transported me here to this... hellhole...but what of you, sire? I heard that you were dead." _

_"Not so dead as some would like to have me. As you see, I have returned." You respond... and I can hear your voice cracking slightly._

_I remain silent for a moment... as do you. We both seem so overwhelmed with sorrow... I haven't seen your face in so long... I thought I would never see it again. I look up at you once more, and saw thousands of events unfold in your eyes... seeing into your memories. I saw the war you lost... your 200 year slumber... and the betrayals and deaths of Faustus, Marcus, and Sebastian. I saw Vorador, alive and leading the vampire resistance in Meridian. I saw you first meeting Umah... I was so surprised to see her in your memory. She had changed so much... my beloved companion. She had become colder, stronger, and transformed from bride to soldier, finally satisfying her master with a job that suited her. And I could see that you fancied her... perhaps even loved her..._

_That alone, caused my heart great pain._

_Your words break the silence... and I knew, judging by the strain in your voice, that you were holding back a sob. "Magnus, my champion... you have suffered long enough..."_

_I gaze into your eyes and watch you as you kneel before me._

_"It is with pride that I grant you your death..." you whisper._

_My body relaxes... my eye grows gentle. And I feel the warmth of freedom, and the end of my suffering, only inches away._

_**"Sire... my thanks..."**_

I saw the pain in your eyes. The same sorrow and heartache I saw centuries ago, when you believed I had betrayed you. Your clenched fist loosened, and your claws tensed slightly. I rose my head and drew back my shoulders slowly, exposing my throat and chest. Your eyes squinted slightly, your teeth clenched, and I could see the tears forming as you drew back your arm. Then, the same, loud, agonizing pain from before echoed throughout the prison as I felt the talons of your claws tearing deep into my throat, then exiting through the flesh and bone on the opposite side of my neck.

The pain vanished... the suffering ended...

Only an outside force could end my torment... but it broke my heart that you had to be the one to do it...

Even in death... somehow... I could still feel you. You had fallen to your knees beside me... and I could feel you take me into your arms. The sobs you held back were released incontrolably all at once as you held me closer in your arms. You lowered your head in misery, our foreheads touching, and your teardrops splattering against my face.

And for a long time... we were still. You held me for the longest of times, until your tears dried and your sobs abandoned you.

Then, I felt my spirit being lifted. It escaped my body, and was absorbed into you. With my spirit came my strength. I bestowed to you my Dark Gift as I heard your voice whisper to me:

"_Go, my friend. Be free. As the rest of us, living or dead, can never be..." _

And I whisper to you:

**_"I will stay with you, forever... we are together once more... we are unbeatable once again..."_**

_The End_

Author's Note - I do not own Legacy of Kain, or any of the characters. They belong to Eidos and Crystal Dynamics.


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